Reporter Tim Marcin celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s birthday today as he reports: Abraham Lincoln was born 208 years ago today. A president who changed the United States forever, leading the country through the Civil War, he remains revered in the minds of Americans.

The 16th president, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves should be free. He was assassinated April 15, 1865 soon after the war ended, but Lincoln’s legacy has lived on. And while he is certainly one of the most well-known presidents, Lincoln led a fascinating life full of interesting twists and turns that many might not know.

Don’t miss 13 interesting facts about Lincoln.

1. He was the only U.S. president to hold a patent, according to the Civil War Trust. He patented a system that could keep a steamboat from running aground.

Lincoln was a prolific wrestler who, legend has it, was defeated just once in hundreds of matches, is enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. It’s worth noting that President Donald Trump is enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame, which is the soap-opera-esque faux wrestling popular with Americans nowadays.

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In The News

CNN, September 19, 2017 — On CNN today, the Students Opposing Slavery Summit at President Lincoln’s Cottage was featured with the headline, “Students take up Lincoln’s fight to end slavery: Teens from around the world attended the Students Opposing Slavery Summit, held at the cottage where Abraham Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation.” Read More…

History Matters

July 11, 2017, Architectural Digest —Reporter Nick Mafi explains, “Liberty Hall Museum — which is located on the campus of Kean University, one of New Jersey’s largest state schools — has been going through an extensive renovation,” with the goal of recreating each era of history. Recently, the museum “discovered several cases of Madeira wine from 1796 that had been shipped from Portugal for the celebration of John Adams’ presidency. Read More…